Mail-receptacle.



J. w. GUTLER.

MAIL REGEPTAGLE. 4 I APPLICATIQN FILED AUG.'a.190a. y r 923,81 6. l, Patented June 8,1909.

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J.' W. GUTLEB. MAIL REGEPTACLE. APPLICATION FILED AUG, 3. 1908.

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IINIYPED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER, OFROCHESTER,v NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GUTLER MANU- FAOTURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MAIL-RE CEPTACLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application led August 3, 1908. Serial No. 446,789.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WARREN CUT- LER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Receptacles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to mail re- .ceptacles and more particularly to the closmg of the mailing slots or apertures in order to prevent the deposit of mail when the receptacles are not to be used, and it has for an object to provide a simple and ineX- pensive construction which will effectively hold the closure in closed position and can only be operated by authorized persons.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. i

In the drawings: Figure `1 is a horizontal section through a mail chute to which my invention has been applied ,"Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of a portion of a mail chute and one of the receiving pockets4 thereof, showing the closurel in closed position; Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the closure in open position; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the chute pockets showing the closure open; and Fig. 5 is a like view showing "the closure closed.

In the present instance I have embodied my invention in a' mail receptacle of the type employing one or more chutes 1 leading from the upper floors of ya building to a boX (not shown) located on the ground floor.

These chutes are Vprovided at each floor with mail receiving slots 2 (one only being shown) each of which is preferably formed in a pocket 3 offset from the front panel 4 and communicating with the chute. The interior of thefchute may be rendered accessible by the provision of a movable part or parts, so that when the mail matter becomes clogged in-the chute it may be removed by an authorized person. In this instance this result is obtained by hinging the front panel 4 at 5 and securing it in closed position by a locking device 7, the key of which is held by the postal authorities.

The front wall of the pocket may carry the usual notice of the time of the collections or other advertisement and may have mounted within it a guide plate 8 which directs the mail into the chute, said plate carrying, if desirable, a horizontal series of tongues or projections 8' which prevent the insertion of matter that would be liable to clog the chute.

Preferably the mail receiving opening, slot or aperture 2 opens vertically and is formed in a horizontal wall of a pocket. It may be closed by a closure 9 which in this embodiment is in the form of a plate hinged at one edge within the pocket and to one side, preferably to the rear of the mail receiving slot.

With this arrangement it is necessary to swing the closure upward to close the slot, but its normal tendency is to swing down- Ward to open it, thus preventing any accidental closing. In the present instance the plate 9 is hinged to an attaching plate 10 which is secured to a tongue or plate 11 that depends from the front panel in order to separate the upper portionl of the pocket from the mail chute chamber.

The depending tongue or plate 11 may also serve as a support for a device for closing the closure and holding it in thisposition. In this instance this device comprises a rotary member 12'which turns about an axis at an anglepreferably nearly at right angles to the swinging axis to the closure and has a lateral extension or arm 13 which cooperates with that face of the closure opposite that face which cooperates with the walls about the receiving opening 2. The aXis of the rotary operating device is preferably located in a vertical plane slightly in rear of and parallel with the vertical plane of the rear wall of the closure when the latter is in open position so that the Vportion 18 which cooperates with Vthe closure may swing to the rear of the closure when the latter is in open position'. The

4upper end of the rotary device does not eX- tend to the aXis of the closure but to a point substantially in a plane with the under surface of the closure when the latter is in closed position. This arrangement together `with the arrangement'of the axis of the rotary device not quite at right angles to the axis of the closure, causes the outer end of operating portion 13 to engage the closure away from its aXis in the first part of its movement; and, after the closure engages the walls of the chute about the opening 2, to hold it to its seat with pressure. Preferably the arm 13 is made of resilient material so that it may be forced over a stud or enlargement 14 on the inner face of the closure and in this manner lock the parts against accidental displacement. When it is in locked position, the extreme end of the arm 13 engages a wall of a slot 13a in the` guide plate 8 to limit the locking movement of the operating device. The seat formed by the slot also supports the arm against movement or bending due to a depression of the closure by pressure on the exposed face thereof.

The operating device is preferably journaled beneath the attaching plate 10 and in a bracket which is formed by extending the lower end of the depending plate 11 npwardly at 15 parallel with its main portion, thence outwardly at 16 substantially perpendicular to the tongue 11 and finally upwardly parallel with the tongue 17, the operating device being journaled in the portion 16. The lip 17 lies in a plane parallel with the plane of the closure when the latter is in open position and extends to the lower edge of said closure so that it will not be possible for the mail to be caught by the closure or the bracket.

In order that the operating device may be operated only from the interior of the mailing receptacle l provide it with a crank portion 18 which extends below the depending tongue 11 so as to be reached from the chute side of the pocket when the panel is open, the crank portion being formed by two oppositely directed curved portions so that no sharp corners to catch the mail will be provided.

To close the mail receiving opening 2 the panel 4 must first be opened by one having the proper key. rlhe crank or operating portion of the closure closing device is then manipulated from the chute side of the pocket causing the closure to effect the closing of the opening and then to be locked by the arm 13 passing over projection or enlargement 14. Upon the locking of panel 4 it is impossible for any one to deposit mail through the mail receiving opening.

rlhe construction herein described is simple to operate and acts as a very effective lock. It can only be operated from the interior of the apparatus and in this manner prevents tampering therewith by unauthorized persons. Further its parts are so located that they do not interfere with the insertion of mail matter.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a mail receptacle provided with a mail receiving opening, and a part movable to gain access to the receptacle, of a closure. l'or the opening hinged within the receptacle at one edge on one side el the opening and having one face cooperating with the walls about the slot, and a device operable only when the receptacle is opened, cooperating with the opposite face of the closure to move the latter to close the mail receiving` opening and to hold it in this posie tien.

2. The combination with a mail receptacle provided with a vertically opening mail receiving slot, of a closure for said slot located within the receptacle and hinged at one edge on one side of the slot so that it swings npwardly to close the latter and downwardly by gravity to open the slot, and means adapt ed to hold the closure in closed position.

3. The combination with a mail reccuitaele provided. with a mail receiving opening, ol' a closure hinged within the receptacle at one side of the opening, and an operating device for the closure rotatable about an axis at an angle to the hinge of the closure and substan tially parallel. with the closure when the lat ter is in open position, and having a portion cooperating with the closure.

4. The combination with a mail receptacle provided with a mail receiving opening, of a closure hinged within the receptacle and at one side of the opening, and an operating device for the closure rotatable about an axis at an angle slightly less than a right angle to the hinge of the closure and substantially parallel with the closure when the latter is in open position and having a laterally extending portion near the hinge adapted to cooperate with the closure.

5. The combination with a mail receptacle provided with a mail receiving opening, of a closure hinged within the receptacle and at one side of the opening, an operating device for the closure rotatable about an axis arh ranged at an angle slightly less than a right angle to the hinge of a closure and snbstantially parallel with the closure when the latter is in open position and having a resilient laterally extending portion near the hinge adapted to cooperate with the closure, and an enlargement on the closure over which the resilient portion of the operating device is adapted to pass.

6. The combination with a mail receptacle having a mail receiving opening, of a hinged closure therefor, rotary operating device having a resilient portion adapted. to cooperate with the closure and an enlargement on the closure behind which the resilient portion is adapted to pass to lock the closure.

7. rlhe combination with a mail chute proe vided with a pocket having a vertically opening mail receiving aperture, and a depending tongue in the rear of the pocket, of a closure for the mail receiving aperture hinged in the rear thereof and an operating device for the closure carried by the depending tongue.

8. The combination with a mail chute provided with a pocket having a vertically opening mail receiving aperture and a depending tongue in the rear oi' the pocket, of a closure for the mail receiving aperture hinged in the rear thereof and swinging downwardly to open it, and a device arranged on the depending tongue and cooperating with the free edge of the closure when the latter is open to provide a smooth surface over which the mail matter may be -freely passed.

9. The combination with a mail chute provided with a pocket having a vertically openl ing mail receiving aperture and a depending tongue in the rear o'll the pocket, of a closure for the mail receiving opening hinged in the rear thereof and swinging downwardly to open the receiving aperture, and an extension on the depending tongue extending upwardly parallel with the tongue thence outwardly and again upwardly to the free edge ol' the closure when the latter is in an open position.

10. The combination with a mail chute provided with a pocket having a vertically opening receiving aperture, and a depending tongue in the rear of the aperture, of a closure hinged in the pocket in rear of the opening, and a vertically arranged rotary device carried by the tongue and having an operating portion projecting below the latter and a portion cooperating with the closure to eiiect the closing movement of the same.

11. The combination with a mail receptacle having a mail receiving opening, ol' a closure hinged at one edge to one side of the opening, a closure operating device rotating about an axis substantially at right angles to the plane of the wall in which the opening is formed and carrying a portion adapted to coperate -with the closure.

12. The combination with a mail receptacle having a mail receiving opening, of a closure hinged at one side of the opening, a closure operating device mounted on the same side of the opening, and a seat on the opposite side oi the opening, on which the closure operating device rests when the closure is held in closed position.

13. The combination with a mail receptacle having a mail receiving opening, of a closure for the opening hinged at one side of the latter, an operating device for the closure rotatable about an axis at an angle to the hinge of the closure and substantially parallel to the closure when the latter is in open position, said device having a laterally extending portion to cooperate with the closure, and a seat on the opposite side of the opening in which the laterally extending portion rests when the closure is in closed position.

14. The combination with. a mail chute having a vertically opening receiving aperture, and a depending tongue in rear of the aperture, of a closure hinged in the pocket in rear of the aperture, a closing device rotatable on the tongue about a vertical axis and having a laterally extending portion cooperating With the closure, and a guide plate having a slot in which the laterally extending portion operates.

15. The combination with a mail chute provided with a vertically opening mail receiving aperture, of a closure for the aperture hinged within the receptacle at one side of the latter and swinging downwardly to effect the opening, and a device rotating about a vertical axis and having a laterally extending portion cooperating with the closure to effect its closing.

JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER.

Witnesses:

M. BRAGDON, W. M. HARPER. 

